Voluntary Sector North West
St. Thomas Centre
2 August 2012
In 2007, the Government 'diverted' £425m of Lottery revenues to help pay for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. This money should have been distributed to projects by the Big Lottery Fund. It was stated then that the monies would be repaid but the latest Government statement on this was in late February 2011 from John Penrose MP and said:
'The development of the Olympic Park is a long-term programme, with land sales due to take place over a period of 25 years. Given the timescale of the development programme and its dependence on market performance, we cannot be certain about the timing, but the current estimate from the Olympic Park Legacy Company is that the distributors should start to receive payments in the mid-2020s.'
The Big Lottery Fund Refund campaign believe that this timeframe is not acceptable and that a replayment schedule lasting several decades is not credible or reliable. They are pressing the Government to refund the Lottery as soon as possible after the Olympics conclude.
To read more about the campaign, you can visit the Where's Our Big Lottery Refund? website.
Regional Voices, of which VSNW is a partner, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded funding from the Department of Health (Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Fund) to support voluntary and community sector influence on health and wellbeing boards
The Department for Business Innovation & Skills has published the findings of a research study on European Social Fund delivery with the aim of informing thinking around the next round of programmes
Healthwatch England was formed in April 2013 and is the independent consumer champion for health and social care in England. They have now published a list of local Healthwatch, including those for the North West
The Local Government Chronicle held a webinar to explore the essential elements to ensure local healthwatch organisations are effective in scrutinising local health services and provide a voice for communities. Regional Voices, of which VSNW are a part, are mentioned.
An analysis has been published by NAVCA of the 74 areas that received Transforming Local Infrastructure and provides a national perspective, and allows the sharing of information and ideas
